South African President Jacob Zuma says the country has made "good returns" on the estimated $4.2 billion it spent to host the World Cup.
Speaking to a group of investors in Cape Town Tuesday, Mr. Zuma said the building of stadiums created 66,000 new construction jobs, and that security improvements added 40,000 new, permanent police positions.
He said hosting the tournament has also produced social benefits, such as creating unity among South Africans and improving the country's image as a tourist destination.
Mr. Zuma said the government chose to bid for the World Cup because it "wanted to show that Africa could do it."
This is the first time any African nation has hosted the World Cup, one of the world's biggest sporting events. The monthlong tournament ends on Sunday.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
